One picture can carry an incredibly impactful message. This particular image is from 2020’s protests following the death of George Floyd. The picture shows a young person kneeling in front of the police force. This image is impactful through the isolation of the protestor, the group of officers, and the kneeling in background that work together to argue the impact that these protests had and their severity. It is symbolic of an “us vs. them” mentality that was especially high following the George Floyd tradgedy.

The isolation of the girl is key in the impact of this image. The way that they separated from the crowd shows their bravery and shows the importance of standing up and being a leader. On the other hand, it also shows vulnerability. In separating themself from the crowd, this young person is essentially becoming a target. This reminds us of the severity and emotional impact that the death of George Floyd had on the masses. It was so intense that it caused people to step up to become targets themselves to ensure that it would not happen again. It is also important to note that they are wearing a mask which is symbolic of the changes that 2020 brought.

The wall of police officers is also significant here. The way they are so tightly bound together and armed is a strong contrast to the separated and unarmed protestor. This is representative of the brutality used by police officers and of the way that they protect one another. This can be literally protecting each other from harm but may also be representative of defending an officer who committed a racially motivated crime. This also goes to show how severe and brutal these protests were.

Finally, the background is significant. The protestors are all kneeling and many are shown with their hands up in pleading. This conveys surrendering and peace. However, the police officers still are heavily armed and many have their weapons drawn. The protestors kneeled to convey that they were not acting violent towards the police officers, but the police officers often showed brutality in return. This was due to the violence committed against George Floyd who did not fight back.

This image argues that civilians/protestors are separate from the police force. It conveys this message of peaceful protestors compared to a violent police force by highlighting an isolated protestor, the wall of police officers, and the kneeling protestors in the background. This image is significant because it was brought on after the death of George Floyd and shows how one life can make a big difference.